Kind of Vague Story
by the real poetic rambler
Summary: AU Hunger Games. I am rating it M to be safe. Katniss is your average high school student. Her biggest worries were once her rivalry with someone who used to be her best friend. But she is soon thrust into a situation that is bigger than herself. On hiatus until I can think of something for this...
1. A Vague New Beginning

Kat wasn't exactly having the easiest time with her locker. She wasn't sure of who did this, although she did have a vague idea of who in her mind. They were kinda the bane of her existence, to put it nicely.

They were close freshman year of high school. But to say that they grew apart would be the understatement of the century. One day they were friends, the next day they weren't. It did happen that abruptly. Kat doesn't even know what exactly caused these two best friends to split.

Was it a mutual crush in the same person?

Was it something that Kat said?

Or did they just simply drift apart?

Kat didn't have any sort of idea. If she knew, she would not be still staring at her ceilings at night wondering what the hell happened. She was seriously that confused. Why did that happen to her?

What annoyed her the most was that it was still bothering her. It didn't help that this person became a bit of a bully for Kat as well. Tripping her in class, putting a "Kick Me!" sign on her back and now jamming up her locker with what seems like peppermint gum.

Seriously, how in the hell did they get her locker open to do this anyway?

Kat was going to have to beg the janitor to help pry open her locker. She has actually created an alliance with the janitor these days, as he was the one who helped her hide from the jeering students to regain some sort of composure.

As she was starting on her trek to find said janitor, she ran into said bane of existence.

"Oh great," Kat sighed, "You're here..."

(Not sure what to do with this or where to go with this. If you have any ideas, let me know. I don't even know if I am going anywhere with this...)


	2. The Vision Is Still Blurry

(Changed to present First Person POV for this part. Just wanted to give a heads up so as to not irk whoever is reading this.)

As said before, I don't understand what I ever did to make them hate me. But I have noticed that I tend to have the superhuman ability to piss people off by simply breathing. So maybe that was it.

Anyway, it seemed like as soon as I saw them, they ran away like a bat out of hell. Dammit, why am I even bothering to chase after them? I am running after someone who is on Varsity track! Granted, I am too. But I am a pole vaulter, not a fucking sprinter!

Shit...

Why did I think running after them is a good idea?

Wait... Did they just look back at me in fear?

Why would they look back in fear?

That is beyond weird.

The only looks they have given before is hatred and whatnot. I wonder what changed their perspective.

And that is when I realize that I have a crowbar in my hand still.

Oops. I forgot that I still had this in my hand after trying to pry the doors of the locker by myself. Thankfully, it is in my backpack at all times in order to protect myself from creepos as well as to take care of the flat tires on my 1969 Mustang.

Is it weird that I just listed the car reason behind the self-defense reason? Eh, whatever.

Oh right, I am still chasing after the person who finds it fun to make my life a living hell. And they seem scared because I happen to have a crowbar in my hand and I might be giving off a bit of a psychotic look towards them.

I am so close to them. As I reach out to grab them, I all of a sudden get tackled from some unknown third person.

"Ow, son of bitch!" I manage to wheeze out after the person knocked the wind out of me.

I am able to regain enough of my bearings to see that it was Gale, my best friend since childhood, who tackled me.

"What the fuck Gale! I almost had them! You know the shit that is going on between the two of us! I almost had them! Fuck!" I scream almost hysterically at my poor best friend.

Gale lets me finish my rant before rolling his eyes and sighing deeply.

"As good as it would have been to see you beat the shit out of the dumbass, I just don't think it would have looked favorable for your case if you were seen with a possible weapon chasing after a person without a weapon. Granted, it was amusing as hell to see from a distance. Trust me on that. But Principal Snow was heading in this direction. You know how much he hates your guts. So him seeing you with a crowbar while chasing someone could be his ammunition to get you expelled. So, you are welcome you ungrateful ass."

Once Gale told me the key information about Snow being nearby, I realized that he was right. Snow and my family have not seen eye to eye for as long as I can remember. I don't even know what started it, I just know that Snow would sell his soul to the devil just to see my family crash and burn.

"Thanks G," I sigh while Gale helps me up.

"No problem Katnip. What would you do if you didn't have me?" He asks with a smug look on his face.

I shrug, "I don't know. I probably would have totally gotten a badass rep for chasing after someone with a tire iron. Damn you G, I totally would have been thought as total gangsta!"

Gale lets out a hearty laugh before responding in a patronizing tone, "Yeah right Everdeen. You are totally gangsta. You sounded so white just saying that word. But you are badass to the core in my eyes!"

I roll my eyes as I punch him hard in the shoulder.

After hearing Gale whine from the new shoulder pain, I chuckle and say, "Fuck you G. You know I can kick your ass without breaking a sweat!"

He laughs a bit while still giving me a pained look. I know that my punch hit the right spot on him.

He wraps his non-injured arm around my shoulder as he says, "Sure Everdeen, sure. Let's just say that. Come on Rocky, let's get out of here before you punch someone that isn't me."

I laugh at my new nickname. Gale really does know how to calm me down best. I know without a doubt that he is the best kind of friend a girl could ask for.

As Gale starts rambling again about his heroics, I can't help but shake this feeling that someone is watching me. Eh, I'm sure I'm just being paranoid.


	3. Things Aren't As They Seem

After Gale was able to get me to calm down from my somewhat blind anger towards my sorta arch nemesis, we head to lunch. It seems like all the headaches are in another total polar opposite area from me, including Snow. That is definitely nice to see, since it is so rare.

It is just me, Gale and my freshman buddy Rue. Rue is the adorable little sister that everyone wishes that they could have. She is kind, would never say anything mean about anyone, and sees the best in people. She definitely is my foil.

Sure, I already have a little sister in Prim. She is great as well and is very similar to Rue, but it is just hard to say no to Rue. Even Snow can't say no to her. That is definitely saying something.

Anyway, as we finish lunch, Gale decides to try to get a few more sandwiches from the lunch women. Everyone on the planet knows that he will succeed, since all the lunch women love him. To them, he is the son that they wish that they had.

While he is using his charm on the geriatric lunch women, Rue casually elbows my forearm.

I turn to her and ask, "What's up Rue?"

She looks around to make sure that no one is eavesdropping before she whispers, "You went after the wrong person."

Because I had forgotten what had happened before lunch, I look at her incredulously before asking, "What are you talking about Rue?"

She leans further in before answering with, "The person who jammed your locker is not who you think it is. Rumor has it that Snow did it to get enough of a rise out of you to get you expelled. Yes, he is aware of your rivalry. He wanted to capitalize off it to kick your ass out of here."

To be honest, I'm not sure what I am more surprised about. Rue never talks ill of anyone, so her saying this has to be true. Plus, Rue never swears, so it was definitely clear that she was pissed.

I ask her, "Are you sure that it is true?"

She nods calmly before answering, "Yeppers. In fact, Prim was the one who saw it. She didn't tell you herself because Snow saw her watching the whole thing and she didn't want to further incriminate you. So, she told me to tell you. Snow is definitely on the warpath."

Just as Rue finished, Gale lumbers back with at least 20 sandwiches in his hands.

"Yo Katnip! Any chance you want to use your badass skills and help your old friend out? These are kinda heavy!"

I roll my eyes before answering, "Just set them down on the table Gale..."

Although his face is covered by the mountain of sandwiches, I can hear his head shaking.

"Hell effing no hombre! I can feel Cato glaring at me and waiting for me to set these down so he can swipe some! He always does!"

I roll my eyes before saying, "I'll keep an eye on them Gale... Just set them down..."

Gale lets out a sigh before answering, "Fine..."

Gale is able to set them down without incident, mainly because he maintains a death glare on Cato the entire time. In fact, I have to make sure that none of the sandwiches fall off the table because Gale is sure as hell not watching what he is doing.

Once his prized food is on the table, Gale relaxes and asks, "So, what were you guys talking about?"

I look over at Rue to get some sort of allowance for me to repeat what she just said. Once I do, I answer, "Snow set me up with the locker. In fact, if you hadn't intervened, I probably would have fallen into his trap."

Gale's eyes widen in surprise before he responds, "Shit. That crazy old fart is really after you. Do you know exactly who jammed up the lockers Tiny?"

Rue nods before answering, "Yeah. Prim told me it was Caesar and Claudius. You know those guys would do whatever he says."

"Jesus Christ. Those guys are on the school board. Snow really is on the warpath with you Katniss." Gale says with a worried look on his face.

I nod in agreement before we enter a tense silence.

While my friends are obviously distracted with trying to figure out why Snow would go this far, I am more concerned with trying to figure out how to counteract.

That's when I get a brilliant idea.

"Guys! I got it! I know how we can counter his attacks! Far too long, my family and I have been on the defensive. Now it is time to go on the offensive. But, before I say anything, I need to know that you guys will have my back on this. You can still bail out if you want."

Gale looked at me like I had grown a second head when I was saying the last part. I knew he had my back. I had no doubt about that. He is a fighter like me. Part of the reason he and I got along so well. It was Rue I was worried about. She is quite the pacifist.

My worries are soon destroyed when Rue says, "Fuck that! I want to do whatever I can to get back at that son of a bitch for fucking with my friends! What do you need me to do?"

Once again, I am shocked by Rue's newly colorful vocabulary. She is really pissed. I know without a doubt that she has my back.

Gale is the first to break himself from the same shock as I had with Rue's choice of words.

"Just tell us what you need us to do and it will be done. Anything for you Everdeen."

I start by saying, "I will be going in a route that is going to be seen as unconventional. But just hear me out okay?"

They nod in understanding instantly.

I start to describe my plan with great detail. Gale and Rue are so into what I am saying, that they don't even notice Cato swiping a dozen of Gale's sandwiches.


	4. Everything's So Blurry

I just finished telling my plan to Gale and Rue. Gale looks impressed that both I and Rue have 'grown some balls' (his words, not mine), while Rue looks like she wants to kick ass now.

"So," I begin, "How do you guys like the plan?"

My question is followed by silence before Rue interjects.

"I like it, but I have a couple questions. First, I think we need someone higher up to back us. That way, Snow can't just toss us for giving him slight headaches. Who do you have in mind for that?"

Before I can answer, Gale responds, "Leave that to me. I can most definitely get the Dean on board. She hates Snow's guts and has been chomping at the bit to replace the bastard!"

Rue looks surprised at what Gale just said. Hell, I am surprised at what Gale just said. I never realized that he knew so much about the politics of this school.

But I soon nod in agreement and say, "I agree. Although Coin is not the most preferable person to trust, we don't have much of a choice. An enemy of my enemy is my friend in this case. We can definitely deal with her once we get Snow out of the way."

Both Gale and Rue nod in agreement with my multilayer plot.

"Which actually leads to my next questions Kat. Are you sure that we can trust you know who? How can you be so certain that they won't betray you in the process? Hell, how will Snow not try and intervene by pitting the two of you together?"

I reply, "To answer your first question, I don't know if we can trust them. But I do know that they hate that asshole Snow as much, if not more, than I do. We just have to capitalize on that hatred in order to get a temporary alliance in order. To answer your second, I kind of factored that into the plan. It kind of helps initiate stage three. Granted, the plan will have to be tweaked as we go along, since nothing ever seems to go to plan for us."

Gale chuckles, "That is so true Everdeen. Remember in first grade when we…"

"Gale?" I ask.

"Yeah Katnip?"

"Please shut up."

"Sorry."

I sigh at my friend's short attention span before I continue.

"Anyway, the answer to the last question is this. Snow will be caught flatfooted once he sees that the two of us are working together. And yes, I am sure that he will be able to deduce that we are working together after a while. Although, if things work out as planned, it might take some time for him to figure it out. He will see that our alliance is a fragile one. One that can be easily broken if one thing goes wrong. He will make sure that something does go wrong. We need to anticipate that. But I need to know exactly what is going on in that twisted mind of his…"

An unknown voice softly says, "We can help with some of that…"

I jump at the intrusion before turning to see who it is.

To my surprise, it is the nerdy Beetee and his posse from AV Club.

I soon overcome my surprise and ask him, "Why do you want to help us? You never seemed the type to cause trouble or rebel against Snow."

Beetee pushes his thick framed glasses up the bridge of his nose before answering, "It is because he hasn't only screwed you over. He has been trying to cut funding for our club for the longest time. He wants the funding to go to our football program. The only person stopping him is the Superintendent. But he is set to retire soon and Snow seems like the obvious replacement. We will be totally screwed if that happens. So we will definitely do whatever it takes to bring that tyrant down. Right Wiress?"

His friend Wiress nods in agreement while mumbling something that I can only assume to be her agreement as well.

"Okay, good. The AV club will handle hacking into the school security system. We need to use his eyes in the sky against him. You guys know how to do that right?"

Beetee nods eagerly before responding, "Oh most definitely. Even though Snow seems to delude himself into thinking that his system is unhackable, there is always a glitch in the system. We already know what it is and have already triggered a backdoor just for a time like this. We can easily get the eyes on our side. Just say when."

I smile at his eagerness before answering, "Just do it as soon as possible. We need to get all the intel and damning evidence that we can before Snow even knows what hit him."

Beetee's smile widens to the point of mere giddiness before he answers, "Glad we are on the same page Ms. Everdeen. We will start right away. So please excuse us, we have a tyrant to take down."

With that, he and his AV club members disperse to their multiple laptops at their lunch table.

I am surprised at his willingness. I had no idea that other people were getting burned by that bastard Snow. This plan just might work.

"Okay. We got that taken care of. Now we just need a couple moles to help us out. You guys got anyone in mind?" I ask on the second part of the question that I am stumped on.

Rue nods eagerly before answering, "I have a couple of people in mind. Both of these people are members of the school staff who have been scorned by Snow. We can definitely use this to our advantage. Just let me talk to them beforehand, then I will let you know."

"Alright," I respond, "It looks like we have a little homework to do. Gale, you will try and get Coin on board. Rue, you will get your moles in place."

Rue interrupts, "What about you Kat?"

"I will get some unlikely allies. Keep your heads up. I'll email you guys tonight to see where we stand." I answer before the lunch bell rings.

Once the ring finishes, we go in our own separate directions. Each with our own motive, each with our own purpose. But we know that we share one common goal: To bring Snow down.


	5. Everyone's So Fake

I was fortunate enough to have my first class after lunch with the barely tolerable Finn Odair.

Yes, he is easy on the eyes.

But he also knows that he is and will brag about it nonstop. He will flirt with everyone because of his gigantic ego.

But he is also one of the most popular people in the school and I have had the fortune of knowing him since freshman year. It does help to be nice to the right people, even if they never returned the favor.

Because now I can get him to return the favor. After all, Snow has blackmailed Finn into doing favors for him. Although no one knows the secret, it means that Finn is under Snow's thumb. Finn is the type of person who does not like being under the control of someone else, so he must hate Snow for doing this.

This is a golden opportunity that I just cannot pass up.

I casually walk into the classroom and sit next to him.

He quickly checks me out in order to not face my wrath. He might fear my anger, but not enough to sacrifice his habits.

Once he finishes, he starts his charm. "So Katniss, what do I owe the pleasure of your company? I always knew that you just couldn't resist the Odair charm."

I groan and roll my eyes, wondering if this hell is really worth going through. I quickly remind myself that it is before responding.

"Cut the crap Odair. You and I aren't exactly friends, but we might be able to help each other out here. Interested?"

Finn's eyebrows raise in surprise before he regains his composure and says, "Wow Everdeen. I always dreamed of this day. When you finally admit your attraction for me and finally agree to be a bed buddy of mine. The angry ones are always the best ones."

It's my turn to be surprised before the surprise turns into anger and disgust. I punch him hard in the shoulder to get the message clear to him.

"Ow! Even though I am not one for pain during sex, I can always make an exception with… OW!"

The people around us glance at us after Finn's outburst.

I respond, "Sorry, he was speaking in tongues. I was instilling the way of the Lord in him."

Finn whispers, "How do you plan on instilling it Ever… FUCK! Will you stop hitting me?"

I answer with a question of my own, "Will you stop being a dumbass pervert for 5 minutes?"

"If that means that I will have less bruises, then fine Everdeen. Why did you really come and start talking to me? As you said, we are far from friends and you beating the shit out of me just now confirms that. What's on your mind?"

I smile in gratitude towards his change in attitude before answering, "I just happen to have an amazing idea that will probably sound quite intriguing to you. Interested?"

Finn looks at me suspiciously before asking, "What do you have in mind Everdeen?"

I shrug nonchalantly before answering, "I'll give you two words. Snow and revenge. Now, I will ask again, interested?"

Finn's face betrays interest for a moment before attempting to hide it while answering, "I like the beat, play me the tune Everdeen. You just said my favorite two word combination. Of course I am interested."

That's when I knew I had Finn Odair on board.

One down, three to go…


	6. Everybody's Changing

Once I survived Biology with "I'm too sexy for my shirt", the next person on my list to get on board with this plan is none other than the Johanna Mason.

This should be fun.

I know the easiest way to find her is to not look for her in any of the classes that she is supposed to be in. Ditching is her way of protesting.

That means that she is probably smoking. That is what I have gathered from sources. She is another one of those people that I wouldn't exactly consider to be a friend.

She has a reputation for being a major rebel who is even more of a thorn in Snow's side than I am. She also is known for her fiery temper, which means that I have to tread lightly.

It takes a little time to find her, but I eventually do.

She is leaning up against the senior parking lot wall with her eyes closed and a cigarette between her lips. Even with her like that, she still scares the shit out of me.

Her voice breaks my thoughts soon after I find her.

"Do you have a purpose for being here brainless, or are you just trying to piss me off?" She casually asks without opening her eyes.

I loudly gulp before I answer her.

"I have a plan..."

"It's a miracle! The nerd has a plan! We must tell everyone!" Johanna interrupts with her usual sarcastic voice.

"Well, if you let me explain..."

"Right Everdeen, I'm going to listen to you. Even with the whole crowbar shit that happened, people don't consider you to be much of a threat."

I feel my anger rising as she continues to insult me.

She continues, "Why don't you just do what you do best and walk away? It would save everyone, especially me, from the headache that is you..."

This time, I interrupt.

"WILL YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU ARROGANT JACKASS! IF YOU ACTUALLY DID, YOU WOULD KNOW THAT I HAVE A PLAN THAT WILL HELP THE BOTH OF US!"

After I finish screaming, she doesn't look all too worried or scared. She actually looks impressed.

"Bravo Kat," She says while clapping, "It's nice to know that you actually do have the 'balls' that Hawthorne wouldn't shut the hell up about. What is this brilliant plan that will 'help the both of us'?"

"Do you promise to shut up until I finish?"

She opens her eyes to look at me for the first time while she smirks.

"Only if you say please Everdeen..."

I roll my eyes at her smart ass attitude during something so serious. But then again, it is Johanna Mason. It is second nature for her to be an ass.

"What if I told you that I knew of a way to ruin Snow for good? What would you say to that?" I ask confidently.

Her smirk grows into a full grin as she says, "I would say where do I sign up Everdeen?"


	7. Everything Is So Messed Up

I have just returned from the senior parking lot with the feeling of accomplishment. Even though I have one more person on my list, I still feel pretty good about getting the two harder sells. The last one doesn't attend this school, so I have to wait until I get home before I can annoy them.

But hey, at least I have two out of three thus far.

While I am thinking this, two males' voices echo down the hallway.

"Kat! Katniss!"

"Yo Everdeen!"

When I turn around, I am surprised to see Peeta and Cato Mellark sprinting to catch up with me. These two are very popular hockey playing twins who are known for their loyalty and their brutality.

Why they want to talk to me, I have no idea.

"Hey Everdeen. Glad that we could catch up with you. We were wondering if you got a minute." Cato says while trying to catch his breath.

I am still confused as hell as to why they would want to talk to me, but I nod and answer, "Yeah, let's go to the football field. That way, we have plenty of privacy."

"Sounds good Everdeen. You good with that Peeta?" Cato asks his twin.

"Yeah, definitely. We are right behind you Kat." Peeta answers his brother while politely smiling at me.

While we are walking to the football field, I can't help but wonder what they want from me. I have known them since freshman year and were pretty close to them that year, but a ton has changed since they got into hockey hardcore. Peeta is still nice to me and says hi to me in the hallways, while Cato does things that make me and Gale want to punch him.

"So," Cato's voice interrupts my thoughts, "You are probably wondering why we asked to talk to you."

I nod in the affirmative before Cato continues.

"While I was stealing Gale's food, I couldn't help but overhear your idea. I can speak for my twin and the whole hockey team when I say that we would love to be a part of your plan."

I am surprised about this. Even though Cato and Snow are not on the best terms, I never really thought that their relationship was that bad. And Peeta never really ever came off as the trouble making type. He is the star athlete, straight A student. I have no idea as to why these two would want to possibly jeopardize their futures here to get back at a man that really seems to have no negative connection to them.

So I ask, "Why do you guys want to get involved in something like this? I never took you two as major anti-Snow people. What do you have against him?"

Cato looks really perturbed, which makes me really wonder what that bastard did to them.

Peeta answers, "Snow is the heartless bastard who hit Clove. He drove off as soon as he did and denied any sort of wrongdoing. Both Cato and I saw the whole thing, but it was his word against ours. He got away without a scratch while Clove barely got away with her life. That's why we want that son of a bitch to suffer."

His answer floors me. I knew about that hit and run that almost killed Clove during our Sophomore year. She and I didn't always get along, but I would never wish something like that on anyone. I never knew that Snow was the one who hit her. The police said that the driver's identity was unknown, which led to the hit and run being an unsolved case. This plan is really going to resolve issues that are much bigger than I initially thought.

Once everything had soaked in, I answer, "Okay, you guys are in. What do you have in mind exactly in terms of getting back at him?"

Cato and Peeta immediately look at each other and grin as Cato answers, "We heard that you need some Trojan horses. I can think of some guys that can accomplish that need. Enough said?"

I smile and answer, "Enough said. Welcome aboard Trojan Men!"

Cue the awkward moment.

"You realize what you just said, right Everdeen?" Cato asks with a horribly masked smile.

I growl and answer, "Shut up. I blame Finn. I will keep you guys posted. I am going to go now..."

I quickly leave before I say something else stupid, while I hear the echo of the twins laughing at my verbal gaffe. At least I have some more bodies in this plan.

Now time for my last unlikely ally.


	8. Preoccupied Without You

It's great to know that I have quite a few people on board with this plan of mine. I just need to get one more person before I check in with Rue and Gale. But this might take a while...

My stepfather is a walking contradiction of a man. One minute, he is incredibly loving and sweet. The next, he is a drunken asshole. But hey, that is my ever drunken father Haymitch for you.

He and I get along, sort of. He has been the closest thing to a father that I have had since the accident and he has denied me nothing. As stated earlier, his alcoholism turns him into a completely different person.

I don't exactly know why he became a drunk, but I do know that it has something to do with Snow. Snow was never an educator before he became principal, he was (and still is) actually a well off business man. He basically bought his way to becoming principal, although he will tell people that "It's to give back to the community that has given so much to me!"

What a load of bullshit...

Anyway, it is a well-known fact that Snow has made his fortune through both legitimate and illegitimate means. People know this because of the work of my father, who was a well-respected police officer during his time living. Haymitch was my father's best friend and partner through this entire thing.

This means that Haymitch knows Snow inside and out, as well as has deep dirt on him. I just need to find the ever elusive man and talk to him, which is a bit more difficult than I initially thought.

I give up looking for him on foot in favor of calling his cell. It rings twice before it goes to voice mail. Bastard is hitting the ignore key. Fuck that, I am going to keep calling him. I finally get him to answer his phone on the third attempt.

"H... Hello?" A groggy voice answers.

"Haymitch? Is that you? Where are you?" I ask, worried about his well-being. We may not always get along, but I do care about him.

"Ugh... I don't know sweetheart. Let me open my eyes first..."

I hear some rustling around. I am able to assume that he is kind of getting up, although he is obviously hung over.

"Whoop... There we go! I knew that my legs would eventually work. Now, what was the question?"

I take that back, he is still a twee bit drunk.

I sigh before repeating the question, "Where are you?"

"Ah. I'm with your dad. Can you drive me home?" He asks with a somber tone.

I try and regain my composure before answering, "Yeah. I'm a couple blocks away. Stay where you are. I'm on my way."

I hear an empty chuckle before Haymitch says, "Don't worry sweetheart. I'm not moving."

It takes about 30 minutes to reach the graveyard, which has definitely seen better days. A takes a few more minutes before I reach my dad's grave and a weeping Haymitch leaning on Dad's tombstone. I approach silently while I listen to what Haymitch is saying.

"Dammit Everdeen! You were in the wrong place at the wrong time! Snow wanted to kill me to send a message to the cops, not you! It never should have been you. It was always supposed to be me! Goddammit! I always promised that I would protect you, that you were always going to be my little brother. And I failed you! Why wasn't it me God?" Haymitch screams in agony.

I gently rest my hands on his shoulders. He jumps for a split second, before realizing it was me and he relaxes.

"Katniss, there was always something that I wanted to tell you. I just didn't know how. Even though your father was the one who pursued Snow the hardest, I was the one that Snow hated the most. He thought that your father could be controlled because he had a family, unlike me. In Snow's eyes, I was the biggest obstacle for him."

He pauses to recollect himself before continuing, "The night he died, he decided to take my shift. I had some paperwork to do at the office and he offered to take the shift for me. I should have said no. I had this horrible feeling once he offered. But the only thing I said was, 'Be careful out there.' He just smiled at me and answered, 'Always.' I don't know why I ignored my gut feeling. I'm so sorry Katniss! It's okay that you hate me! I will always love you as one of my own!" He finishes while weeping loudly.

It breaks my heart to see him like this. He is a good man with guilt over something that he couldn't control. I could never hate him. He saved my family.

I crouch down so that he and I are at eye level before I say, "Hey. I could never hate you. You are my dad. You saved my family. I could never thank you enough for everything you have done. Never doubt that."

Haymitch gives me a watery smile before saying, "Thank you so much Katniss. You have no idea the burden that was on me all these years. Thank you..."

He suddenly envelopes me in a tight hug that reeks of bourbon, but that doesn't matter to me. Haymitch's confession brought us closer than ever and I am entirely grateful for that.

After a few moments, we separate and start to get up.

I ask him, "Ready to go home Dad?"

He smiles before answering, "Yeah sweetheart. I am ready."


	9. Cannot Live At All

As we are driving back to our house, I knew that I had to wait a little longer before asking him about joining my plan. One of my dad's most favorite phrases was "don't try and ask Haymitch for any sort of favors when he is drunk". I used to not understand what the hell he was talking about with that. But after what I just saw, I finally am understanding of the once irrelevant quote.

As I am pulling into the driveway, I whisper to the sleeping Haymitch, "We are home".

Even with my whisper, he jumps awake as if I screamed in his ear.

"Dammit. I gotta lay off the sauce. Thanks for driving me back sweetheart."

I smile at his genuine gratitude before I say, "No problem Dad. That is what family is for."

He returns a sincere grin before he responds, "Indeed. What is sad is that the only thing that I think that can really stop my drinking habit is some sort of closure. But I doubt that will happen anytime soon, since that asshole Snow is still owning our souls."

My eyes are widening in surprise with how Haymitch provided such an easy window for my proposition. This might help heal my family in more ways than one. It seems like the more people I talk to about this, the more I realize how much bigger this plan can be than just simply me and my revenge.

Haymitch is looking at me, as if he is trying to solve a big puzzle.

"Why do I have a sneaking suspicion that you might have some sort of answer to my prayers?"

I gulp loudly right before I say, "Well, you could say that. I may have some sort of payback for what that son of bitch has done to us. I was hoping that you could help us."

Haymitch's smile returns as he responds, "That would do wonders for the both of us that therapy and alcohol could never accomplish. And I am curious as to how you want to make the monster suffer. But, I need to be reassured two things from you. First, as contradicting as this may sound, I need you to promise me that you will not blindly go about this without logic. You cannot completely just use revenge as the only motor in this vehicle. You need to keep a level head. We need him to lose his, which means that we need to keep ours."

He pauses in order to be sure that I am listening to him. I begin to nod at him to continue.

"Secondly, I need to know that you know when to walk away. Who knows, your plan might work. I don't know, especially since we haven't gone over the details yet. Even if the plan does work, you cannot kick the man while he is down. Something like this can change someone for the worse. I need to know that you will not become the very man we are going after. I know it seems ridiculous right now, but you will see what I mean if everything goes to plan. Can you promise me both of these things? Do you swear on your father's grave?"

I knew that Haymitch was going to be serious about something like this beforehand, but I really had no idea that he was going to be this serious. With the mention of my father, I know without a doubt that he is doing this to right the wrong against my father and that he expects me to do the same.

I start nodding my head as I say, "You have my word Dad. You have no idea how grateful I am that you are on board with this."

Haymitch nods in return as he responds, "Not as grateful as I am that you are giving me this opportunity. Since you agreed to my conditions, you have yourself a deal. Let's gut this son of a bitch."

My part in the foundation is now complete. Now to check on Gale and Rue's progress.


	10. My Whole World Surrounds You

I am about to log onto the chat site to talk to Gale and Rue, when Haymitch stops me one more time.

"What exactly was your friend Gale supposed to do?" Haymitch asks with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. Gale's lack of attention span is apparently quite well known, if Haymitch is asking.

"He says that he can get Vice Principal Coin on board with the plan, since she is gunning for Snow's job for the longest time. Why do you ask?" I finish with a question, since I am indeed intrigued as to where this is going.

Haymitch sighs before answering, "Just be careful of Coin. I haven't personally experienced anything from her, but I have heard quite a lot about her. Let's just say that she will be your friend until a better offer comes around. Then, she will probably have no idea who you are."

Damn, that is a good point. In the haste of trying to plan for Snow and his possible actions, I kind of forgot to factor in Coin and her possible actions.

"Damn Dad, you are right. What the hell are we going to do?" I worriedly ask. This can really derail our plans.

Haymitch pauses to think about the idea before he answers, "We probably have to wait her out and go from there. There are too many directions for her to go to actually fully prepare for. Hopefully, your friend Gale doesn't think the world of her. Otherwise, our problem just got bigger. But we need to see her first move before we react. That way, we can narrow down the possibilities of what she can do."

I smile before I say, "Wow. Why didn't you lay off the sauce sooner? You actually sound like a man with a plan right now."

Haymitch smirks and winks at me while he responds with, "The idea of revenge can make even the blindest person see sometimes. Besides, I couldn't show you my A game sooner. Otherwise, you would already know what is up my sleeve."

What does he have going on in that once alcohol induced mind of his?

"You aren't going to tell me what your plan is yet, are you? That would make too much sense if you did…" I mumble in annoyance.

"Oh, don't fret little one! Daddy will tell you soon! Your young mind is just not yet ready for the mind-blowing plan of mine!" Haymitch proclaims in his patronizing voice.

I roll my eyes before I ask, "You don't have a plan yet, do you?"

"No! I do have a plan! I just need to get some things in place before I tell you said plan! Now, I must leave in order to get my plan in motion!"

Wow, either he is really that prideful that he doesn't want to admit that his plan is non-existent or he actually has some sort of plan that might actually work.

No matter, I can't do anything else about it right now anyway. I gotta chat with my friends about their parts.

I log on and see that only Gale is logged on right now. I wonder what has kept Rue.

I guess I can ask her once she logs on. At least I can ask Gale about his progress.

Chat log:

Katman78: Hey Hawthorne! How is getting Coin on board going?

Gman007: Yo Katnip! She is on board! As soon as I mentioned Snow and revenge, I got her attention. She may be a bitch, but right now, she is a bitch that can help us.

Katman78: Elaborate

Gman007: It's all about short term loss for long term gain when it comes to Coin.

Katman78: Interesting. Are you sure the short term loss isn't enough to offset the long-term gain with her?

Gman007: I'm not worried. Where's Rue btw?

Katman78: Not sure.

*Ruetheday45 has joined the chat*

Katman78: Hey Rue

Gman007: Hey tiny! How are you doing?

Ruetheday45: Hey guys. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we have a problem…


End file.
